Accord Diesel Test Drive

"Well, your Accord just turned over 120,000 miles, dear. I'm thinking it's time we start looking for a new car for you."

"But it's been so great and reliable. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Well, I know, but the resale isn't going to get any better the longer we keep it. We should try to get what we can for it."

"Oh, all right. Let's check out the new Accords, they look nice."

Couple drives to their neighborhood Honda dealer, and starts walking around the lot.

"Here are some V-6s over here, dear."

"Wow! What's this? This one here gets 48 miles per gallon on the highway."

"What, is it a hybrid?"

"I don't know, let me look. Huh. That's interesting."

"What's that?"

"It's a diesel."

"Ugh. I don't want a diesel. I remember when my folks had their old 300 D Mercedes. That thing was slow as a snail, smoked like a locomotive and smelled awful."

"I don't know, honey, that's really good mileage. And I've been reading in the paper and magazines that these new diesels are supposed to be a lot better."

"Can I help you folks today?" asked a salesman.

"Yeah, we were wondering what the story was with this new diesel model," said Tom.

"Don't listen to him. There's no way I'm getting a diesel. I think we're interested in a V-6 model," Anne stated adamantly.

"Well, these new diesels are really nice. I think you'll be surprised. We've already sold about six of them, and they've only started coming in the last three weeks."

"Really? Hmm. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to take a look," said a hesitant Anne.

"Let me get the keys for you folks."

"Tom, look. I am not getting a diesel, end of story!"

"Anne, I think you should have a little more of an open mind about it."

"Diesels are gross! They're gutless and stink. No! No way!"

"So, are you folks ready to go on a test drive?" the salesman asked.

"Sure, don't you need to get the keys for it?"

"It's actually already running."

"It is?" exclaimed a surprised Anne.

Tom and Anne walk closer to the car, and lean over the closed hood of the car. They could barely hear the muted gravelly thrum of the engine.

"Wow, that is pretty quiet, I've got to admit," said Anne.

"Come back here," instructed the salesman. He pulled a white handkerchief out of his pocket, and held it near the exhaust pipe. "Rev the motor a little," he instructed Tom. He obliged, and gave the throttle a few stabs.

"You want to take a look?" He holds up the handkerchief, and it's as clean as if it just came out of the wash.

"I know you guys have your salesman tricks," said a still-cynical Anne. "Rev the engine again, Tom," she said as she stooped down near the tailpipe. She sniffed the exhaust a little. "Doesn't really smell like diesel. It smells more...how should I put it...waxy?"

"How 'bout we take it out for a spin," the salesman prodded.

"Oh, fine!" sighed Anne. "You guys are just determined to get me to buy this, aren't you?"

The doors close, and the engine noise from inside the car is no greater than that of a regular gasoline four-cylinder. They drive to the street.

"Don't be afraid to punch it," the salesman says. On that cue, Ann stabs the throttle. The car pulls away, and within a second or two, the car is pulling strongly, upshifting at a little over 4,000 rpm, shifting again, and before they knew it, they were going 60 miles per hour.

"You might want to watch your speed, Honey."

"oh my," Anne says as she looks down at the speedometer. "This is quite a bit quicker than I expected it to be."

"Yeah, they're really peppy," said the salesman.

"We were looking at the Prius, but it was so slow!" said Anne. "It just didn't have the kind of power I was hoping for. But this one scoots around pretty good."

"I know I sell Hondas, so of course I'm going to be a little biased, but I think this is much nicer all-around car than the Prius. Don't get me wrong, it's one heck of a car, but this just has a lot more power, and is a lot more fun to drive."

"So does it really get the kind of mileage that's on the sticker?" Anne queried.

"Well, we had a demo model in here a few weeks ago, and some of us took it home and drove it around for a week, and it averaged about 38-40 miles per gallon. And we were driving it pretty hard, too."

"Isn't the fuel harder to find?"

"Not so much anymore. But we did have a few close calls with some of the sales guys trying to put gasoline in it. You do have to be careful about that," he laughed.

"Well, the mileage is definitely impressive, and it certainly has good power. You almost have me convinced," Anne said.

They pull back onto the dealer lot, and already another salesperson is showing another Accord diesel to a prospective customer.

"That one's a diesel, too," said the salesman.

"These must be quite the hot ticket right now," said Tom.

"Yeah, they're pretty popular. Even we're surprised by how many people are asking about them. Actually, you guys are kind of the exception. Most people already know they want a diesel when the come here," explained the salesman.

"Give us a few minutes," Anne told the salesman.

"Take your time," the salesman said.

Anne took a long look at the car. "I think I could manage this," she said. "I never thought I'd own a diesel."

"Pretty impressive if you ask me," said Tom.

"It's up to you, sweetheart. If you really want the V-6, that's fine, but it doesn't get nearly the mileage of this one."

"I know the sixes are fast, but this is plenty of power for me. (Sigh) Yep. Let's do it, I think this is a pretty good deal, and you can't beat the mileage," said a newly-convinced Anne.